Ireland. AD 671. Sister Fidelma has a mission, and she is sworn by oath to reveal her purpose to no other. The secret investigation leads Fidelma and her companions to the abbey of Finnbarr to question the abbot. But before they have a chance to speak to him, the abbot is found murdered - and the young girl suspected of the crime has fled the scene.

Despite their protests, Fidelma's cohorts agree to accompany her in pursuit of the girl for answers. But as vicious rumours spread, accusing Fidelma's family, the Eóghanacht Kings of Cashel, of conspiring to assassinate the High King and abduct his wife, Sister Fidelma's life is placed in mortal danger.

Unable to tell the truth of her quest to anyone, including her husband Eadulf, Fidelma's time is running out - and now she has no choice but to face the challenge, and her enemies, alone.

As the leading churchmen and women gather at the Synod of Whitby in AD 664 to debate the rival merits of the Celtic and Roman Churches, tempers begin to fray. Conspirators, greedy for power, plot the assassination of King Oswy of Northumbria. And mysterious, violent death stalks the shadowy cloisters of
the Abbey of St Hilda, while outside the abbey walls, the pestilence
of the Yellow Plague devastates the countryside. When Abbess Etain, a leading speaker for the Celtic Church, is found murdered at the start of the Synod, suspicion inevitably rests on the Roman faction.

Attending the Synod is Fidelma, of the community of St Brigid of Kildare. Sister Fidelma, an advocate of the Brehon Court, is called upon to investigate the murder. But, because of the acute political tension of the situation, a member of the Roman faction must work with her. Brother Eadulf, a Saxon, is of a family of hereditary magistrates, so he too is eminently qualified
for the task. However, the two are so unlike in temperament and cultural concepts that King Oswy describes their partnership as that of a wolf and a fox. But which is which?

More violent deaths follow and the friction among the clerics is beginning to split the kingdom into civil war. Can the solution to the mysteries avert such a disastrous conflict? BUY THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW FROM AMAZON.COM!

Wighard, archbishop of Canterbury, has been discovered garroted in his chambers in the Lateran Palace in Rome in the autumn of AD 664. The solution to this terrible crime appears simple as the palace custodes, its guards, have arrested an Irish religieux, Brother Ronan Ragallah, as he fled from Wighard's chambers.
Although the Irish monk denies responsibility, Bishop
Gelasius, the nomenclator in charge of running affairs at the Lateran Palace, is convinced the crime is political; Wighard was slain in pique at the triumph of the pro Roman Anglo-Saxon clergy in their debate with the pro-Coloumba Irish clergy at Whitby. There is also a matter of missing treasure; the goodwill gifts Wighard had brought with him to Rome and the priceless chalices sent for the Holy Father Vitalian's blessing have all been stolen.

Bishop Gelasius realises that Wighard's murder could lead to war between the Saxon and Irish kingdoms if Ronan is accused without independent evidence. So he invites Sister Fidelma of Kildare and Brother Eadulf of Seaxmund's Ham to investigate. They are assisted by a young Roman officer of the Lateran Palace custodes,
Furius Licinius. But more deaths must follow before
Fidelma is finally able to put together the strange jigsaw in this tale of evil and vengeance. BUY THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW FROM AMAZON.COM!

In the mid 7th Century AD the Venerable Dacan, a much respected and beloved scholar of the Celtic Church, has been found murdered while on a visit to the Abbey of Ros Ailithir in the Irish kingdom of Muman.

The Venerable Dacan was a man of Laigin, the brother of its equally beloved Abbot Noe of Fearna, close confident to its newly crowned and impetuous young King. For centuries there has been enmity and tension between the kingdoms of Laigin and Muman and central to their quarrel is the control of the border lands of
Osraige. In compensation for the death of Dacan, the young
king of Laigin has demanded the land of Osraige - and that will mean bloody war.

Summoned by Muman's dying king to investigate, Sister Fidelma's task is both to solve the mystery of the brutal killing and also somehow to prevent the inevitable war breaking out between the two opposing kingdoms. She sets out for the remote abbey of Ros Ailithir with a warrior named Cass and very little time.

But there are more sinister forces at work behind Dacan's death than just political intrigue. Through a haunting, melancholy atmosphere, Sister Fidelma follows a trail that is as suspenseful as it is tortuous, as complicated as it is surprising. BUY THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW FROM AMAZON.COM!

A headless female corpse is found in the drinking well of a remote abbey in south-west Ireland. One hand clasps a crucifix; tied to the other arm is a pagan death symbol ...

A merchant ship is encountered under full sail on the high seas off the Irish coast. But the crew and its cargo have vanished - as if by sorcery ...

Whose is the body in the well? Where is the crew of the vessel? Are these bizarre events connected? And if so, who is responsible? The year is AD 666 and Sister Fidelma of Kildare, a religieuse and advocate of the Brehon law courts of the five kingdoms of Ireland, is thrown into another sinister mystery. The intrigue, danger and violence of ancient Ireland are proved
palpitatingly real as Fidelma follows a trail of clues to a host of enigmatic suspects; the autocratic Abbess Draigen who has much to hide; the timid Sister Bronach, obviously escaping from something; the sly Brother Febal; and Adna, a petty chieftain with ruthless ambition, amongst many others. As Fidelma slowly begins to unravel the puzzle, the solution appears as complex as it is stunning. BUY THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW FROM AMAZON.COM!

Eber is not a man to make enemies. He is a chieftain with a reputation for kindliness and generosity. Yet, one night, his household is aroused by a scream from his chamber. The servants burst in to find Moen, a young man to whom Eber had extended his protection, crouched over the bloody body of the chieftain. Moen's clothes
are drenched in Eber's blood and he is clutching
a bloodstained knife in his hand.

There seems no doubt of culpability, but why did Moen kill the gentle an courteous Eber? The problem is made more difficult by the fact that Moen himself cannot tell them - for he is deaf, dumb and blind ...

The case proves to be anything but simple. That is when Sister Fidelma, advocate of the ancient Irish law courts, begins her investigation of the killing in order to present an argument on Moen's behalf before he is condemned. Assisted by the faithful Brother Eadulf, and confronting many enigmatic, intriguing characters, Fidelma finds himself tackling her most difficult
case yet. her path to the truth twists and turns with the sinister forces of primitive passions and subtle ambitions - and leads inexorably to a final, stunning denouement.BUY THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW FROM AMAZON.COM!

Sister Fidelma has been sent by her brother, king of Cashel, to Laisre, chieftain of Gleann Geis - the "forbidden valley" - to negotiate permission to build a Christian church and school in his territory, replacing the Druidic sanctuaries. In some remote corners of seventh century Ireland, Christianity has still
not displaced the ancient pagan religion, and
Laisre's clan is known to be hostile to the new religion, fiercely adhering to the old.

Knowing her mission will be no easy task, Fidelma, accompanied by the Saxon brother Eadulf, enters Gleann Geis. Here they come across the naked, slain bodies of thirty-three young men, curiously placed as if in a sun-wise circle. Each body bears the marks of stabbing and garrotting; every skull has been smashed in.

Is this some ritual sacrifice? It bears the hallmark of the ancient threefold death of pagan times. The number thirty-three bears mystical symbolism. What evil lies here? And who is responsible if not the heathens of Gleann Geis?

The solution to the many mysteries Fidelma encounters is not easily arrived at. And as she proceeds through the "forbidden valley" = the valley of the shadow - she embarks on an inquiry fraught with more evil and personal danger than any she has encountered before. BUY THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW FROM AMAZON.COM!

The Abbey of Imleach, in the south west Irish kingdom of Muman, now rivals Armagh as the centre of the faith in Ireland. For the founder of the abbey was none other than St Ailbe, the man who brought Christianity to Muman, converted its King Oengus and, together with St Patrick, baptised him at Cashel in AD 448.

But now, calamity has struck the community of the Abbey of Imleach. not only has an elderly brother suddenly disappeared, but, almost worse for the harassed Abbot, the holy relics of St Ailbe have also vanished. St Ailbe's sacred relics are not just the concern of the abbey's community but are a price icon and political symbol
of the entire kingdom. So who would have
dared to take them? Both relics and the monk must be found!

Sister Fidelma, together with Saxon brother Eadulf, on a visit to Imleach, are asked to investigate. It seems there is more to the disappearances than meets the eye; much more. Fidelma gradually uncovers one of the most sinister conspiracies she has yet encountered, in which the participators will stop at nothing - even murder - to achieve their aims... BUY THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW FROM AMAZON.COM!

When Sister Fidelma sets out on a pilgrimage to the Holy Shrine of St James in the late autumn of AD 666, her main preoccupation is to reflect on her commitment to the religious life and her relationship with the Saxon monk, Eadulf, whom she has left behind. The arrival, among the small band of pilgrims, of her first love, a man
who had deserted her, complicates matters,
stirring up memories she would rather forget. But there are more complications to come.

During the first night out, with the ship tossed about by a tempestuous sea, one of the pilgrims disappears, apparently washed overboard. The discovery of a bloodstained robe raises question; was the pilgrim murdered and thrown into the sea?

With the bless of the captain, Fidelma finds herself having to overcome her emotional ties and focus all her abilities on solving the mystery. But death dogs the tiny band of pilgrims in the close confines of the ship. Fidelma finds herself not only battling against the antagonism of her fellow pilgrims but struggling to survive the turbulent elements of the storm-tossed
sea, as she attempts to solver a perplexing puzzle. It is not until the Holy Shrine is almost reached - and time is running out - that the amazing truth is uncovered...

Sister Fidelma originally made her debut as one of the decade's most interesting sleuths in short story form. The red-haired, sharp witted and astonishingly wise religieuse captured the hearts of many readers as she successfully tackled the most baffling of crimes in her other role as dalaigh - or advocate - of the law courts of
Ireland, using the ancient Brehon Law system.
It was the overwhelmingly enthusiastic response to these stories which launched Fidelma as the heroine of a bestselling series of Celtic crime novels set during the mid seventh century AD, Hemlock At Vespers is the first collection of these stories ever to be published. With its breathtaking range of settings and crimes, it is guaranteed to entertain and intrigue - and is an anthology that no lover of Celtic
culture or historical crime should be without.BUY THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW FROM AMAZON.COM!

Arriving home from a pilgrim voyage, Sister Fidelma is told that her faithful Saxon companion, Brother Eadulf, has been found guilty of murdering a young girl. She hastens to the capital of the neighbouring kingdom of Laigin, where he is being held, determined to prove his innocence.

The crime took place at the abbey of Fearna where Fidelma clashes with the equally strong-willed but sinister Abbess Fainder. The evidence against Eadulf seems overwhelming; a terrible sordid story of sex, shame and murder. is it conceivable that Eadulf is actually guilty? Even Fidelma is forced to ask the question.

She has little time to discover the truth, however, for the King of Laigin is determined to make Eadulf an example. He has decided to give in to Abbess Fainder's demand that the ecclesiastical Penitentials from Rome be used and not the native law system, which would have simply meant loss of rights and payment of compensation to the victim's family. Ecclesiastical law
demands "an eye for an eye" - Eadulf is due to be hanged.

In the gloomy atmosphere of the menacing abbey, Fidelma, struggling to put aside her emotional involvement, begins the desperate search for the truth; a search that will inspire sheer terror as her toughest investigation yet leads to shocking revelations.

There seemed no disarray anywhere to account for why the meal appeared
to have been deserted halfway through the eating of it. Stools and benches were
pushed back as if everyone had risen but he saw nothing that indicated any
confusion or panic. At a given moment, before the meal had ended, the brethren
had simply stood up, leaving everything in an orderly manner, and … and
vanished!

En route from Ireland to visit the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Sister
Fidelma and her faithful Saxon companion, Brother Eadulf, find themselves on
the coast of the Welsh kingdom of Dyfed when their ship is blown off course by
a storm. The elderly King Gwlyddien is quick to offer hospitality, not last
because the famous Irish dálaigh may
be the only person capable of solving the mystery which has baffled the wisest
of men – the entire monastic community of nearby Llanpadern, to which
Gwlyddien’s eldest son belongs, has vanished into thin air.

Who, or what, is behind the disappearance of the monks? Is it sorcery
or some sinister plot – and what does the perpetrator hope to achieve? But
before Fidelma and Eadulf can begin to answer these questions, they must
contend with the shocking and seemingly unrelated murder of a local girl – a
death whose consequences will be more tragic and more far-reaching than anyone
can imagine.

Sister Fidelma’s
tenth full-length mystery takes her to a new Celtic land, where she finds
herself embroiled in a case as perplexing as it is spine-chilling.

As with all current HEADLINE
editions, the artist is Lee Gibbons who has turned, as usual, to a genuine Celtic
motif for the central illustration.The
goose was a symbol of the Celtic gods of war. This motif was used on the war
helmet worn by a figure of a Celtic war goddess or female warrior from the 1st
Century BC, founded at Kerguilly en Dinault in Brittany.

It needed little medical knowledge to realise that Brother Botulf’s
skull had been smashed in by some heavy, blunt instrument. The realisation came
to Eadulf that such wounds could only have bee inflicted by someone whose
strength lay in malice. That his friend had been murdered and the event must
have occurred scarcely more than a few hours before. At that moment, the wind
rose again, shrieking like a chorus of souls in torment shrieking like a
presage of evil.

Their business with the Archbishop of Canterbury now complete, Sister
Fidelma and Brother Eadulf must make one final journey before returning home to
Ireland – to the village of Seaxmund’s Ham in the land of the South Folk –
where Eadulf grew up. But a mysterious message from his childhood friend,
Brother Botulf, finds them making an unexpected detour to the nearby Aldred’s
Abbey, where Botulf has requested their presence at a very particular time on a
very particular day – midnight on the old pagan feast of Yule.

Puzzled and intrigued by their summons, Fidelma and Eadulf battle
against the harsh winter storms to make their appointment, only to find they
have, nevertheless, arrived too late. Botulf is dead – killed by an unknown
hand.

And as they struggle to comprehend this
staggering news, it soon becomes clear that the murder of this young monk is
not the only trouble facing the abbey. Another less tangible danger threatens
– the ghost of a young woman haunts the cloister shadows – a woman some say
bears a startling likeness to the Abbot Cild’s dead wife. But can Fidelma and
Eadulf discover the truth before they themselves fall victim to the danger
which pervades the abbey walls?

A
series of horrific murders has brought terror to the Kingdom
of Muman. Three young girls have been slaughtered with unspeakable
violence on the nights of consecutive full moons.

Suspicion
falls on three dark strangers from the distant land of Aksum
(Ethiopia), who are guests at the Abbey of Finbarr, and a panic-stricken
mob attacks the community, leaving the religious in fear for
their lives. Sister Fidelma and Brother Eadulf are called in
to restore order and it soon becomes clear that while the three
mysterious strangers are definitely hiding something, there
are other more likely suspects for the murders. What about the
ageing Laig, a hermit-like apothecary, who is known to have
instructed all three victims about the magic and power of the
moon; what sinister truths are hidden in his dark woodland dwelling?

As
Fidelma struggles to repair her faltering relationship with
Eadulf, can she uncover the truth before the next full moon,
when the killer will strike again?

THE LEPER'S BELL sees Sister Fidelma set out to solve one of her most dangerous and personal crimes yet.

A servant has been murdered. The baby in her charge has been abducted.
Fidelma of Cashel has solved even more horrendous crimes in her career
as an advocate of the ancient Brehon Courts of Ireland. But this case
is different. For both Sister Fidelma and her companion, Brother Eadulf
of Saxmund's Ham, the case is unique because of the personal emotions
involved. The baby who has been abducted is their son. What is the
motive for their crime? Could someone seeking vengeance on Fidelma and
Eadulf have done the deed?

They have made a lot of enemies in their
pursuit of justice. Fidelma and Eadulf, ignoring protests that they are
too emotionally involved to undertake the investigation, set out on
what proves to be one of the most dangerous cases they have ever
undertaken...

"The
dead always whisper to us. It is our task to listen to the whispers
of the dead."

Whispers
of the Dead is a sumptuously rich feast of fifteen short mystery
tales, never before published in book form, featuring the brilliant
and beguiling Sister Fidelma. Although the heroine of a series
of bestselling novels, Sister Fidelma, the seventh-century sleuth
of the Celtic Church, made her debut in short story form. Hemlock
at Vespers was the first collection of fifteen early tales.
Now Whispers of the Dead brings entirely new adventures.

This
collection contains an astonishing range of crimes and misdemeanors
and seamlessly blends historical detail, character and story
into mysteries that will confound and surprise. Whispers of
the Dead is Sister Fidelma at her very best.

"In
the simultaneously sharp-witted and full womanly figure of Sister
Fidelma, Tremayne has created a heroine whom many readers will
willingly follow" Kirkus
Reviews

A storm-driven night. Wreckers deliberately drive a helpless merchant ship on to a rocky shire on the west coast of Ireland. Abbess Faife, leading a pilgrimage to a holy mountain, is slaughtered, and her six companions, young female religieuse,
are abducted. An ageing ecclesiastical scholar is murdered in the oratory of the Abbey of Ard Fhearta. Do these bizarre events
have a connection?

Sister Fidelma and her companion, Brother Eadulf, are asked to go to Ard Fhearta to examine the mystery at the request of Abbess Faife's nephew.

But the Abbey of Ard Fhearta stands in the territory of the Uí Fidgente, blood enemies of Fidelma and her brother, Colgú, King of Cashel, for the nephew of Abbess Faife, is none other than Conrí, warlord of the Uí Fidgente.

Many dangers threaten Fidelma and Eadulf from the time of their arrival at the gates of the abbey.

Who is the mysterious `master of souls'? Has the evil Uaman the Leper, Lord of the Passes, returned from what was presumed his watery grave? Is he the shadowy `master' spreading death and corruption across the land? Or is the bombastic chieftain,
Slébéne of the Corco Duibhne, playing some malevolent power game of his own? What malicious hazards await Fidelma and her companion
on the tiny, storm-blown Seanach's Island, where only a small group of hermits are supposed to dwell?

In a brutal and unforgiving seventh-century Irish landscape, Fidelma and Eadulf face one of their most perilous undertakings yet …

February, AD 668, and Cashel is full of distinguished visitors. The reason Under the old Irish custom, Fidelma of Cashel and Eadulf of Seaxmund's Ham, having been joined together for a year and a day, are to be married. But on the eve of the
ceremony, the pious Abbot Ultan, who has travelled from the far north to attend, is found murdered in his chamber. Worst still -
one of the most distinguished guests, the King of Connacht, has been seen fleeing from the scene and is charged with the murder. He demands his right to appoint Fidelma in his defence. Quickly Fidelma discovers that Abbot Ultan is not the pious man he was thought to be -- indeed, many of the guests have cause to hate him. It is a long weekend of suspicion, fear and more death before Fidelma and Eadulf are able to reveal to their restless and querulous guests the truth behind Ultan's murder.

When Sechnssach, High King of Ireland, is found dead in his bedchamber
with his throat cut, all clues point to Dubh Duin, the chieftain of the clan
Cinél Cairpre. For he was found with the murder weapon in his hand when the
High King’s guards entered the royal chamber. But rather than surrender, or
protest his innocence, Dubh Duin took his own life.

The Chief Brehon of Ireland asks Sister Fidelma to find out what
possible motives could have driven Dubh Duin to assassinate the High King.
Everyone seems to have an opinion on this shocking murder but the Chief
believes that the real truth is yet to be uncovered. Fidelma, assisted by her
trusted partner, Brother Eadulf and accompanied by two Cashel warriors, sets
out for the High King’s palace at Tara.

Their investigation reveals an intricate web of conspiracy and
deception that surrounded Sechnussach while he was alive and one that has only
grown more entangled since his death. If those responsible are not discovered
in time these intrigues threaten to unbalance the five kingdoms and send them
spiralling into a violent and bloody civil war.

When Bishop Leodegar of Autun calls upon the church leaders from
western Europe to attend a council, it is to be a meeting haunted by
sudden death and intrigue. It's AD 670, and the Council of Autun is
meeting to discuss serving a final devastating blow to the Celtic
Church. But when a conflict between two delegate results in the murder
of the chief delegate from Hibernia, the entire Council is in danger.
Sister Fidelma and her companion, Brother Eadulf, arrive in Autun to
act as advisors to the Irish delegation. Between the autocratic Bishop
Leodegar and the malignant abbess, Mother Audofleda, a web of sinister
intrigue soon spreads. The theft of a priceless reliquary box, the
disappearance of women and children and rumours of a slave trade make
this one of the most sinister puzzles that Fidelma and Eadulf have ever
faced...

AD 670. An Irish merchant ship is attacked by a pirate vessel off the coast of the Breton peninsular. Murchad, the captain, and a prince from the kingdom of Muman, are killed in cold blood
after they have surrendered. Among the other passengers who manage to escape the slaughter are Sister Fidelma of Cashel and her
faithful companion, Brother Eadulf. The prince was Fidelma's cousin and she is determined to bring the killers to justice...

Ireland AD 670. When an eminent scholar is
found murdered in his cell in the abbey of Lios Mór, fear spreads among his
brethren: his door was secured from the inside, with no other means of entrance
or exit. How did his murderer escape? And what was the content of the
manuscripts apparently stolen from the scholar’s room?

Abbot Iarnla insists on sending for Sister Fidelma and her companion
Brother Eadulf, to investigate the killing. But even before they reach the
abbey, there is an attempt on their lives. As the mystery deepens, Fidelma and
Eadulf must wrestle with problems of
their own, which threatens to separate them forever...

It is AD 664 and Sister Fidelma finds herself in the seaport of Genua, en route from Rome back to her native Cashel. Her old teacher, Brother Ruadán, lies dying in the abbey of Bobium - an isolated abbey in a disturbed country where even the Christians are in blood conflict with one another and the worship of the pagan gods often prevails.

Fidelma is determined to see Brother Ruadán before he dies. But from the moment she enters the beautiful valley of the Trebbia, there is danger on every side. Her dying teacher's last words send her off on her most dangerous adventure where murder follows murder and a vicious civil war threatens before an extraordinary conspiracy is revealed. And from the start, Fidelma
is on her own ..

670 AD. The body of an unknown young noble is found murdered not far from Cashel. The only clue to his identity is the emblem he was wearing – the emblem of the ruling house of the neighbouring kingdom of Laigen. When King Colgú of Cashel sends his sister, Fidelma, and her companion, Eadulf, to investigate, they are propelled into one of their most dangerous and perplexing
mysteries. They find themselves struggling with a tangled skein of murder and intrigue; a bewildering conspiracy and, moreover, physical jeopardy.

Is the eruption of violence that has broken out in the west of the kingdom connected? Who is the fanatical figure who leads the violence, claiming to have been summoned by "the seventh angel" to drive the "impure of faith" from the land? What is the mystery that connects the dead noble, a murdered alcoholic priest, and a menacing abbot who has built
his abbey into a military fortress rather than a religious community? What evil stirs out of the shadowy Gleann na nGeilt, the Glen of Lunatics? Fidelma herself becomes the victim of abduction and it is up to Eadulf to find and save her from imminent death. Should he beware of the attractive Princess of the Éile or her neighbours, the Osraige, a border people with a reputation for being untrustworthy? Who is the handsome young poet who seems to be a key to bringing together the strands of a complex plot to overthrow
the Eóghanacht ruling house of Muman of which Fidelma’s brother is the head? This is one of Fidelma’s most baffling investigations yet.

Winter, 670 AD. It is the feastday of the Blessed Colmán, former royal poet of Cashel. King Colgú has invited the leading nobles and chieftains of his kingdom to the festivities. As the feast is about to begin, the gathering is interrupted by the arrival of a religieux from the Abbey of Mungairit claiming that he has an important message for the King.

As he approaches the King, the man draws a knife, and shouting ‘Remember Liamuin!’ strikes. King Colgú is badly wounded and, as the would-be assassin prepares to strike again, the Chief Brehon Áedo is killed trying to protect him. The assassin is slain but Colgú is on the verge of death.

Who is Liamuin? It is a female name. Who is behind the assassination attempt? That is the task faced by Colgú’s lawyer sister, Fidelma of Cashel, and her companion, Brother Eadulf. Tracking down the clues, they have to journey into the territory of their arch-enemies, the Uí Fidgente, Does the evil secret lie in the dark, brooding Abbey of Mungairit, or in the equally
threatening mountain fastness ruled by the godless tyrant Fidaig of Sliabh Luachra? Danger and violence are their constant companions until the final surprise revelation.

‘Be warned people of Cashel – the son of chaos will reclaim this place and death and destruction will follow!’

When a curious deputation of religieux arrives in Cashel, death follows close behind and Sister Fidelma and her companion, Eadulf, seem unable to stem the bloodshed and discover the sinister reason behind it.

Is one of the deputation responsible? What was the Venerable Verax, the elderly scholar from Rome, hiding? Was there an evil secret behind the austere and arrogant Bishop Arwald of Magonsaete? Indeed, what was the real reason behind Eadulf’s own brother, Egric’s, unexpected appearance at Cashel to coincide with these events?

Victims and suspects combined to make a tangled skein that results in one of the most complex and bloody mysteries that Fidelma and Eadulf have ever had to face.

Ireland, AD 671. The Great Fair of Bealtain is almost upon the fortress of Cashel, and a line of painted wagons carries entertainers to mark the occasion. But preparations take a deathly turn when one of the carriages is set alight, and two corpses are found, lying poisoned, within.

As Sister Fidelma and her companion, Eadulf, investigate, they are quickly plunged into the menacing marshlands of Osraige – where the bloody origin of the Abbey of Cainnech is wreaking is still casting a grotesque shadow over the inhabitants and beyond…

What is the symbolism of the Golden Stone, and who are the mysterious members of the Fellowship of the Raven? Fidelma and Eadulf must face a real and mortal danger before they can untangle the evil that strikes at the very heart of the kingdom.

Ireland 671 AD. King Colgú of Cashel is shocked to learn that his loyal Chief Bishop and advisor has been murdered in the old enemy fortress of the Uí Fidgente. When word reaches Cashel that the culprit will be executed under new law, a large conflict threatens.

Dispatched to investigate, Sister Fidelma and her companion Eadulf discover that the man facing punishment is Gormán – commander of the King’s bodyguard. Fidelma cannot believe Gormán would carry out such and act – and yet he was found locked in a chamber, with the body, weapon in hand. The evidence is stacked against him.

If they are to save Gormán and keep the peace between the kingdoms, Fidelma and Eadulf must find the true culprit. As the threat of war looms, the fate of execution draws ever closer.

Ireland, 671 AD. On the eve of the pagan feast of Samhain, Brother Eadulf and the warrior, Aidan, discover a man murdered in an unlit pyre in the heart of Cashel. He has been dressed in the robes of a religieux and killed by the ritualistic 'three deaths.'

When a strange woman known as Brancheó appears in a raven-feather cloak foretelling of ancient gods returning to exact revenge upon the mortal world, she is quickly branded a suspect.

But in their search for the killer, Sister Fidelma and Eadulf will soon discover a darker shadow looming over the fortress. For their investigation is linked to a book stolen from the Papal Secret Archives which could destroy the New Faith in the Five Kingdoms... and Fidelma herself will come up against mortal danger before the case is unraveled.

Australian artist Roy Ellsworth, with whom Peter had published a book on the 9th century illustrated manuscript book The Book of Deer (Constable, 1994), was the first artist to be commissioned to illustrate the Fidelma books. His oil portrait of Fidelma
hangs in Peter's study. However, it was rejected as a suitable jacket illustration by Headline. Richard Jones was then commissioned to illustrate the Headline jackets. Richard Jones produced the first five jackets, which illustrations were also used on the first four St Martin's Press hardcover jackets.

In 1998 Headline commissioned Lee Gibbons not only to produce the jackets from Book No 6 but produce new jackets for the first five titles and these were used for the subsequent reprints. By the end of 1998 all the UK editions were appearing in their new jackets.

From the fifth hardcover title produced by St Martin's Press, New York, the artwork of Michael Storrings was used for the series. Michael Storrings had been producing the artwork for the paperback editions published
by Signet Books, New York.

It is not known who produces the artwork for the Magna Large print editions, nor for the German and Greek translations.

Allen Davis has illustrated two of the short stories in the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.

English artist Art Wetherill has prepared unfinished artwork for a comic book rendition of "Murder By Miracle" which has not yet been published. A well known comic book artist, Art would like to see the Fidelma stories translated to comic book form.

OTHER TITLES BY PETER TREMAYNE

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